Broadcast area Memphis, Tennessee Power 1000 watts Callsign meaning W "Her" Area Memphis, Tennessee Slogan 1,000 Beautiful Watts First air date October 29, 1955 | Format popular, jazz, talk Class IV Frequency 1430 kHz Branding WHER Call sign meaning W "Her" | |
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Owner Sam Phillips, Kemmons Wilson | ||
WHER (1430 kHz AM) was the first "All-Girl" radio station when it went on the air in October 1955. Staffed almost exclusively by women (including broadcasting pioneer Vida Jane Butler), the station spawned a series of imitators, but later evolved into a mixed-gender staff rechristened WWEE.
The radio station was the brainchild of Sam Phillips, who used a portion of the $35,000 he made from the sale of Elvis Presley's recording contract to RCA Records to finance the station. A portion of the balance of the funding came from Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson, who also provided the station's first home, in a part of the third Holiday Inn ever built.
As of 2008, the 1430 kHz frequency is occupied by WOWW, a country music station.
References
WHER (defunct) Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA